This relates generally to fabric-based items and, more particularly, to fabric-based items having three-dimensional shapes.
It may be desirable to form bags, furniture, clothing, and other items from materials such as fabric. To form a three-dimensional object, fabric is typically cut and joined at the edges to form the desired shape. Forming objects by joining separate pieces of fabric together in this way results in seams along the edges of the object. Seams can be visually unappealing and can create weak points in the structure of the object.
To reduce the number of seams in an object, some fabrics are compression molded into the desired three-dimensional shape. Compression molding involves applying heat and pressure to a laminated fabric to form the desired shape. While this method reduces the number of seams, the compression molding process can impart undesirable characteristics onto the fabric. For example, compression of the fabric can cause the texture of the mold to be transferred onto the fabric or it can lead to surface deformations that compromise the original look and feel of the fabric.